A Pirate's Love

Derangement Incarnate

Elenor's POV:

My back and neck sore from being forced into one position, I dared not move a centimeter, for fear of violent action, as Dan Deranged clothed his tan, scarred body. The daylight shone through the window, tempting to make his anatomy seem alluring. He fastened his belt to his waist and directed his piercing gaze to me, silent as a dead man.

"Do you speak?" he suddenly asked, causing me to jump. He scoffed at my reaction and picked up his boots. "Flogging today," he conversed, "I want you to watch so you don't get any foolish ideas," he said as he put a boot on.

I sat up, my head still pounding from crying. "I've seen enough," I defended myself, already horrified by what I had just experienced. He smirked his crazed, devilish grin, sending chills through my body once again.

"You've seen nothing yet, love," he snickered, throwing on his other boot. My stomach nauseated at the nickname, grief of the Captain clouding over my mind once again. I sat with it for a moment, tears welling in my itchy eyes. "Get up," he commanded, swiftly walking towards me. I barely had time to lift my head before he took ahold of my arm and yanked me to my feet. He pulled me to the door and unlocked it, then dragged me through the hall, towards the main deck. My wrist firmly arrested in his grasp, the chaotic energy emanating from his body made my heart beat faster in anxiety. The blinding, blazing sun hit my eyes as we came up on deck. Suddenly paralyzed by the sight in front of me, I regained clear vision and full awareness. Members of Captain Blacksmoke's crew lay on the deck, lifeless, shackled, beaten and bloody. Dan Deranged let me go, leaving me standing there in shock, and he let out a bellowing laugh. "You had all the fun without me, boys," he joked with his crew.

"We figured you were having more fun of your own," the crazed man, Joshua, chimed in, walking towards me. He looked me over, hungrily, licking his lips.

"She's mine for now, Joshua," Dan Deranged inquired, "I'll let you know when I'm done with her." Joshua paced around me like a dog, his eyes never faltering. He slowly moved away at his captain's claim of possession, making me sick to my stomach. "Bring out more so I can have my share," Dan Deranged ordered his crew, motioning for Joshua to come near to his side. I watched them whisper to each other, near a rack of weapons, as two crewmen went to the brig to retrieve prisoners. They were unfazed by the traumatizing pile of bodies, having no remorse or visceral reaction, disconnected from the brutality. I covered my nose and my mouth at the smell of blood, the uninhabited bodies of men I once knew, feeling more nauseous by the second. A clang of shackles came up from the brig, more of Captain Blacksmoke's crew arriving on the main deck. Their eyes darted to the familiar bodies of their fellow crewmates, horror flooding their faces. I watched as more men came into view, single file, and my eyes landed on Smith. Instantly, my heart sank. He made eye contact with the single eye he had left, a somber look plastering his face.

"Whose life will you take first, Captain?" Joshua asked.

"The quartermaster," Dan Deranged answered, his eyes burning into Smith.

"NO," I begged, tears started to form in my eyes, while Smith's gentle expression tried to comfort me.

"Bring me the 'cat,' and tie her up so she does not interfere," Dan Deranged ordered, pointing a finger at me without removing his eyes from Smith. Joshua handed him the cat o' nine tails, a short whip with nine strips of leather sprouting from the end. Joshua then strode over to me with rope in his hand, and roughly tied my wrists to a post. Smith was brought forward, separate from the rest of the crew, and pushed to his knees. Dan Deranged towered over him, hate flaming in his eyes. The rest of Dan Deranged's crew gathered around on the upper decks to watch the scene, and began chanting for the flogging to begin. Their howls sounded like demons rising from the depths of hell, causing fear to settle into my body. Dan Deranged waltzed up to Smith with tenacity, keeping his deadly focus on him. "Any last words?" Dan Deranged mocked. Smith looked up at him, his breathing increasing, building the courage to speak.

"Jake will finish this," he boldly said, causing the evil pirate's face to contort in anger. With the crack of his whip, Dan Deranged ripped the skin off of Smith's cheekbone in an instant. Smith faltered, wincing in pain, yet did not redact his loyalty. Dan Deranged yelled in insanity as he landed another blow to Smith's face with his fist, the roars of his crew encouraging the madness. Whip after whip, punch after punch, each blow caused Smith to scream and writhe in pain. Unable to cover my own ears to mute the wailing, I watched and listened to the hysteria ensue. Chained and incapable of fighting back, Smith curled himself, knees to chest, in order to protect his head and abdomen from further damage. Dan Deranged kicked at his kidneys and aggressively rolled him on his back, pinning him in place by getting on top of him. He violently pummeled at his face, blow after blow, driven by unadulterated, evil rage. Blood spattered onto Dan Deranged's twisted face, showing no mercy or hesitation. My body flooded with shock as I watched a slow stream of blood flow out of Smith's head and onto the deck, pooling right in front of me. Smith stopped trying to fight back as his face smashed in, no sign of life in him remaining. The roars on the ship began to dissipate as they realized their captain had lost all control. Dan Deranged rolled his two fists into one and violently hammered into Smith's deformed face, still yelling in enmity. Unable to stomach the scene any longer, I turned out of view and vomited on the deck.

"He's dead, Captain," I heard Joshua shout. Silence came upon the whole ship, except for the faint sputtering coming from the dead body, and the heavy breathing from its executioner. I reluctantly lifted my face to see derangement incarnate, bathed in blood and brains; his skin, hair and clothing stained a deep red. He huffed erratically, his hands and arms shaking at the shock of the murder committed. He smirked a devilish grin, rose to his feet, and wiped his face with the back of his hand, smearing more blood.

"What a rush," he maniacally breathed out, his body still shaking, "Bring me another," he spat, lunacy taking over. Another man was chosen from Captain Blacksmoke's shaken crew, and brought forward. Dan Deranged instantly took homicidal action on the man, the same uncontrollable madness taking over. I shut my eyes tight and tried to drown out the noise, my head feeling fuzzy and body numb. I looked up at the sky and it began to roll backwards. All turned black as I fainted, unconscious.

The screams of men echoed in my skull, causing me to awaken, slumped on the deck. The pile of bodies larger than before, I looked up to see Dan Deranged, gripping the hair of a severed head and screaming savagely, his crew hooting after him. Paralyzed in horror, I blacked out a second time.

I slowly came to consciousness, my vision blurry and benevolence tired. One man of Captain Blacksmoke's crew remained, on his knees and convulsing fearfully. Dan Deranged, soaked in the red of his enemies, walked up to the man, his body upright in intimidation. The crew were silent, awaiting his next move. "Keelhaul," Dan Deranged huffed, sternly, glaring into the man's soul. The crew began cheering in approval, seizing the man and bringing him to the front of the ship. They attached heavy chains to his shackles and threw him over the bow. The sound of the chain gradually rumbled beneath the belly of the ship, as the man was dragged underneath it, drowned by the sea and lacerated by barnacles. I sat on the deck, unable to move, utterly disturbed at what I had just witnessed. His friends brutally beaten, their lives stolen from them; thoughts of what this would do to the Captain clouded over my mind. Dan Deranged approached me, his eyes blackened and soulless.

"Captain– my Captain–" was all I could articulate, still in terror. Dan Deranged apprehended my shoulders, his grip inflexible, the blood of other men bleeding from his skin into my clothing.

"Your Captain is dead," he spat, "I killed him, and I would do it again given the chance, only I would make him suffer, and make you watch as I beat his brain out." Tears streamed down my face at the look of death in his eyes, his words piercing my heart and soul. "You belong to me now," he said, with blood dripping into his mouth, "You will forget him." Hopelessness filled my entire body as I collapsed in place. All faith was gone.